


What's Inside

by Thebiwife



Series: What's (Not) Inside: (Lost) Songs From Waitress [1]
Category: ER (TV 1994), Waitress (2007), Waitress - Bareilles/Nelson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Food, Gen, Keri Russell, Pie, Recasting, Song: What's Inside (Sara Bareilles), Teenage Drama, Unplanned Pregnancy, song prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28765251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thebiwife/pseuds/Thebiwife
Summary: Tired of the drama in her teenage life, 17-year old Chloe Lewis shows up at her elder sister Susan's apartment needing a few favours. She soon makes herself at home; making a mess in the process.
Relationships: Chloe Lewis & Susan Lewis
Series: What's (Not) Inside: (Lost) Songs From Waitress [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927399
Kudos: 3





	What's Inside

**Author's Note:**

> As this fic overlaps with several series already on the go it is effectively a multi-chapter fic but the whole work is organised under the Series entitled 'Motherhood and Mermaid Pie'. 
> 
> (Imagine Keri Russell is cast as Chloe Lewis, Jenna appears in spirit only, for now.)

I take my rightful place front and centre at the bake sale in front of the oven where my second batch is baking, trying to make my stall look nicer by bringing my own chequered tablecloth - Cookie will undoubtedly be screaming at Dad blaming _him_ that it's missing, despite the fact he hasn't left his armchair once in the last thirteen years. I laughed to myself at the thought of it, before rolling out the pastry and cutting it into strips for the third. To my left, the stoner guys who will no doubt be disqualified before anyone dare try their brownies; to the right, the cheerleaders with the daintiest cupcakes that look far too colourful to actually taste any good, and from the look of that frosting, Betty Crocker gave them a lot of help.

"I see Chloe Lewis has baked a pie, as she does every year," Principal Robson noted, one of the school board members following him nodded. She was followed by the rest of the judges who started to walk down the line, poised to pose their questions. The first question is usually the same, everyone wants to know _what's inside_ , not willing to just trust the taste of a bite or the perfect golden bake of the lattice pastry. They slice right into the best looking one to see the gooey oozy fruit filling sitting on a bed of crumbly cookie goodness. 

"You wanna know what's inside?" I asked them.

"Let me guess, something out of a can?" Vice Principal Mathers sneered at me. We haven't always had much money, Cookie, Dad & I. Whenever I see my sister she'll give me a few dollars, which I usually spend on some fresh ingredients, stocking up on staples, or replacing my pastry spatula since Cookie used it to mix her bleach and toner, but otherwise I have to make do on what I can get for cheap that will last; condensed milk, canned pumpkin, dollar store marshmallows.

"It's Chocolate Strawberry Oasis Pie," I said. "Strawberries, Oreos, and there's a pinch of Espresso."

" _That_ will be Folgers Instant," Mathers sneered.

I tried to ignore him as they moved onto the cheerleaders, before Earl and his friends came to my stall. They did as they usually do, trailing behind the panel so they could get away with taking what they can without paying. I rolled my eyes at them, smiling politely at Earl. I hold out the pack of leftover Oreos to him, knowing he always liked them, and I watched as he ate the two cookies before the cream.

We hadn't spoken, not really, not since...I told him. He didn't believe me; I had to show him the thing with the two pink lines, and he went white. If anything, my parents took the news better. Finish High School, or even get my GED if I drop out to have the baby, but she made one thing clear; I had to marry the Father. But there's no way I could go with that, for one, a guy like Earl, my whole life? I thought I _loved_ him. Heck, doesn't every girl in High School think that with their first He was my first everything; kiss, boyfriend, pregnancy. But now, from seeing his reaction to the mess _he_ helped get me into, I just don't think I can. Even if I _did_ love Earl, there's nothing in the world I love more than baking; I can't imagine just staying home and raising his kid and not getting a chance to make it.

I've always promised Dad, and my sister Susie, that I would finish High School. Not that it had ever been my thing - apart from Home Ec I'm averaging a D+, and that's all Cookie wants from me. Personally, I care far more about living up to my older sister going and actually reaching her goal of becoming a Doctor, and there she is! We're not remotely the same person, but I think at least she might respect me for what _I_ want to do, I don't want to be a Cookie cut-out of our mother. My own bakery business, _that's_ always been my dream, my parents know that, not that they respect it. 

But to get there, something needs to change... 

"Hey, Lewis!" one of Earl's friends said, coming back over to take the last slice of my first pie. He turned to his friend, "my Mom said _her_ Mom said Earl knocked her up."

"Hey Lewis, I hear that pie's not all you've got in the oven!"  
  


* * *

  
"Chloe Lewis!" Cookie shouted after me as I threw my backpack back against the door, half-eaten pie still in my hands. "You have to stay in and make dinner while I'm at Bingo."

Slamming my bedroom door behind me I take the box from under my bed and begin to fill it; pie dishes, check, weighing scales, check. I effectively tip the whole thing into a tote bag before putting about a week or two's worth of clothes in my gym back with my few other dearest possessions.

After raiding the kitchen for the rest of my ingredients, barely anything left except a tiny bottle of vanilla extract and a tub of baking soda, I look around for something I can put the last bit of "Have this for dinner," I said and put the pie on the table on the plate that's probably not been washed since I made Dad breakfast this morning. 

"Where do you think you're going?" 

"I wouldn't tell you if I _wasn't_ running from you," I yelled back at her, carrying the tote bag over my shoulder and grabbing my now stuffed gym bag, leaving the backpack by the door. I ran out of the apartment and out the front door, towards the El; the gym bag was heavy but heck, _my whole life is in here,_ I thought to myself. After throwing over my bags and jumping the stile I quickly dash through the doors, sitting on the train before anyone at the station notcied I didn't buy a ticket; in two minds whether I should tell my sister what I've done or not, maybe at least pop by to see her at work before I throw myself into her life.

I stand in front of the Ambulance bay after I arrive for a few minutes before I chicken out, so I stop at the corner store near Susan's hospital, meaning to buy what I need; sugar, butter, flour. I have them in my basket before realizing I didn't have any money.

Without thinking I leave my basket with the cashier and tell her I'll be right back, running back across the street and through the ambulance bay into the hospital.   
  
"Hi, I'm Susan's sister," I said, out of breath. "She asked me to grab her...coat?"

I waited a few minutes with my head down, hoping not to see her just yet. I hadn't yet rehearsed in my head what I would tell her...

_  
I'm pregnant._

_Yes I'm keeping it._

_No I'm not still with Earl._

_Yes, it's definitely his._

_No I'm not moving back home._

_Yes I'm staying here with you._

_No, I'm not going back to school._

_  
_ After some receptionist I've never seen before hands it over, my hands pluck the keys and a few dollars from her pockets (she never was one to put cash away in her wallet). Feeling too stupid to hand it back, I keep hold of it and sling it over my free shoulder, rushing back to pick back up my abandoned shopping.

In her apartment I drop the keys on her coffee table, making them play a tune at the sound of the bang. I take the sugar and butter from the bag of groceries and put them on the counter, searching cupboards for a mixing bowl. I add the flour to begin what I am hoping to start, with limited equipment, rubbing in the butter with my fingers. And then it's down with any recipe; bake from the heart (or usually, try to reinvent what we've got).

Susan's refrigerator was far better stocked than the fridge at home so I was excited to see what I could find; heavy cream and a few lemons aren't exactly the most _exciting_ combination, although a classic...then I spot fresh blueberries and some bacon. They'll have to do, I'm not quite feeing bitter enough for the lemon.

"Hey, it's me," I shouted as I heard the door slam. Susan must have spotted her keys onto the coffee table as I heard her sigh and collapse into the chair.

"Chloe!? What are you doing here? I thought I'd been robbed, my coat was gone. And it's _freezing_ out."

"I'm in the kitchen, baking."

"Baking what?"

"Deep shit, I mean, Deep _dish,_ Blueberry Bacon."

Susan walked through the living room around to the galley kitchen, and took one look at it. And me.

"Chloe! Look at the mess you're making!"

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this, whether or not my regular readers have seen Waitress in either of its forms. Please keep an eye on the 'Motherhood and Mermaid Pie' series to see where this goes! I promise, lots more Chloe/Susie to come!


End file.
